Not here

Last Friday we had a shooting at a middle school. Yesterday, there was a shooting at the university. When things like this happen the first thing always said is “Things like this don’t happen here,” not because the location itself is immune to such tragedies but because there’s a perceived immunity in one’s hometown.

That’s exactly what I said yesterday afternoon upon hearing of this second shooting. I’m sure that’s what the people at Columbine and Virginia Tech said when similar things happened in their towns. But it doesn’t matter where we live, there are people out there who are hurting and frustrated and who need some way to deal with that. Some deal with it be becoming withdrawn and depressed. Others laugh it off or put up a front. And some resort to violence and hurting others.

I’m sad for the parents who lost sons, the children who lost parents, and men and women who lost spouses and friends in these shootings. I’m sad for our schools and sad for my city.